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The failure of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to attend the Africa-Caricom Summit in Ethiopia is another insult to Caricom and to the African Union, former Foreign and Caricom Affairs minister Dr Amery Browne said yesterday.

In a Facebook post, Browne said the summit should have been attended by the head of Government or alternatively, the minister of Foreign Affairs. He said Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers made the most absurd claim that Trinidad and Tobago was being appropriately represented at the ongoing Africa-Caricom Summit.

“In reality, a summit must be attended by the head of Government or highest level of alternative, e.g. the minister of Foreign Affairs. With no rationale or explanation, they made the cavalier decision to send an acting permanent secretary and a divisional director from within the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs to represent our nation at this summit in Ethiopia. Not the PM, not the FM (Foreign Minister), not another member of the largest Cabinet in our nation’s history, and not a minister of State,” Browne said.